Napa, CA (September 26, 2016) – Cal Sophomore Collin Morikawa has received a sponsor’s invitation to play in the Safeway Open, October 12-16, at Silverado Resort and Spa. He is the third player to receive an invitation, along with Aaron Wise (University of Oregon) and Jon Rahm (Arizona State University) that competed in 2015 in the PAC-12.

The Safeway Open will be Morikawa’s second PGA TOUR sanctioned event of 2016, as he lost in a playoff at the Web.com Tour’s Air Capital Classic, shooting 63 in his final two rounds. Morikawa, a standout player at Cal this year, will remain an amateur so he can keep his collegiate eligibility. He is currently ranked #25 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“I am very grateful to Bob Miller, Safeway, Jeff Sanders and Lagardere Sports for the opportunity to compete at the Safeway Open,” said Morikawa. “Playing on the PGA TOUR is my dream and this is a great opportunity for me to test my game against the best players in the world.”

Though Morikawa cannot collect any winnings from the Safeway Open, if he finishes in the top 10 at the Safeway Open, he will automatically receive a spot in the PGA TOUR event following the Safeway Open. Players can receive up to 7 sponsor invitations in a season.

“We are excited to watch Collin compete against the best players on the PGA TOUR as well as some of his recent PAC-12 rivals,” said Executive Director Jeff Sanders. “We were very impressed to see Collin nearly win a Web.com Tour event as an amateur and shoot a number of rounds in the low 60s this year. We believe in giving the area’s best young players a chance to compete and fulfill their dream to play on the PGA TOUR."

The Safeway Open is managed by the Golf Event Management Division of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment. For more information on the Safeway Open or to purchase tickets, please visit www.safewayopen.com.